BJP worker killed in Medinipur, Trinamool blamed

According to the party, Mondal was returning from a sports tournament when bombs were allegedly hurled at him. The party claimed it was a political murder, pointing fingers at the TMC. The local BJP leadership alleged TMC workers Sabang Prasad Adhikary, Shushant Das, Lalu Bhuia and Ashutosh Das were behind the attack.

Local BJP leader Nabarun Nayek said, “A large number of people had gone to Sabang from Mayna area to watch a football tournament. Several of them were our workers. The TMC workers hurled bombs at our workers when they were on their way home. We have lodged a complaint against TMC workers with the police. We will launch a bigger movement if accused persons are not arrested.”

The ruling party dismissed the allegations, and claimed that bombs being carried by Mondal had accidentally exploded.

Senior TMC leader Ajit Maity said, “This has nothing to do with our workers at Sabang. It is an internal matter of the BJP’s Purba Medinipur party unit. We have information that the BJP worker was carrying bombs, which accidentally exploded taking his life. A large number of BJP workers from that area recently joined the TMC. The BJP wanted to foment trouble by bringing bombs and arms. The TMC is not involved in this.”

The police have sent Mondal’s body for autopsy. “A huge contingent of police has been deployed in the area. We are investigating the matter,” said a senior police officer in Paschim Medinipur.

On September 13, a BJP worker was found hanging from a tree in Hooghly district’s Goghat area, while the following day another was found dead in Dinhata in Jalpaiguri district. The BJP blamed the TMC in both those incidents.